Category: Baseball

Detroit Tigers ace Troy Melton is expected to toe the rubber this afternoon when the Tigers and the Chicago White Sox play the middle game of their 3-game set at Comerica Park. Chicago won the first game, 9-5, last night but don’t expect the same result today. Melton has been mowing them down all season and has some scary numbers. He is 7-1 with a 1.46 ERA, a WHIP of only 0.90, and it gets better. Over his last 3 starts, Melton is 2-0 with an ERA of 0.00 (that is not a typo) and a 0.75 WHIP. In his career against Chicago, he is 2-0 with a 1.35 ERA. The White Sox are expected to counter with southpaw Anthony Kay and he is hittable. Kay has average numbers at 9-5 with a 3.96 ERA and a 1.34 WHIP. Detroit sits just 3.5 games back of Chicago for the lead in the AL Central so this is their chance to gain some ground and they know it. Despite last night’s win, the White Sox are not a good road team at 26-34 and with Melton expected on the hill the side to consider is Detroit.
TODAY’S PICK: DETROIT TIGERS

The Washington Nationals will open a 3-game set tonight with the New York Mets in Queens. The Nationals at 60-63 know they still have a legitimate shot for a wild card berth, where the Mets at 53-69 realize they don’t, and that was evident at the trade deadline when they sent starting pitcher Clay Holmes packing to the Chicago Cubs and Freddy Peralta to the Tampa Bay Rays. Tonight the Nationals should be able to get to the Mets expected starter Robert Stock early. Stock is 0-2 with a bloated ERA of 10.13 and a 2.12 WHIP. Numbers like that do not bode well for Stock and the Mets when you are facing a Nationals team that is first in the majors in runs scored and home runs. Washington is expected to give the nod to Andrew Alvarez. He comes in at 2-3 with a respectable 3.76 ERA, a 1.40 WHIP, and was in the zone in his last turn against the Cincinnati Reds where he allowed just 1 run on 3 hits over 5-1/3 innings of work and Washington cruised to an easy 8-2 win. The Nationals have won 4 of the 7 meetings this year with New York, have played well on the road at 33-27, and the Mets are expected to be without Juan Soto who is once again not in the lineup due to an injury.
TONIGHT’S PICK: WASHINGTON NATIONALS

The New York Yankees will go for a 3-game sweep of the Seattle Mariners in an early one today in the Bronx. The Yankees have outscored the Mariners in the first two games, 14-6, and are expected to turn to southpaw Max Fried to throw strikes. He is back to his dominant self since returning from an elbow injury. Fried is 4-3 with an ERA of only 2.88 and an excellent WHIP of just 0.97. In his last turn against a really good Atlanta Braves team, he dominated. Over 6.1 frames he allowed only 3 hits, 0 runs with 7 punch outs, and the Yankees went on to win, 3-2. The slumping Mariners, who have lost 6 straight, will turn to Logan Gilbert to right the ship and he has respectable numbers. Gilbert is 8-7 with a 3.42 ERA and a WHIP of only 0.99. New York has owned Seattle this year, winning 4 of the 5 meetings, and has the edge in runs scored, runs allowed, OPS, and homers.
TODAY’S PICK: NEW YORK YANKEES

The 64-57 Philadelphia Phillies and the 60-60 St. Louis Cardinals will play the rubber game of their 3-game set in a matinée today at Busch. The Phillies fell to the Cardinals last night 2-0 but should bounce back today. Philadelphia is expected to give the nod to their ace, Zack Wheeler, and it’s hard not to side with Philly when he’s on the hill. Wheeler has Cy Young numbers. He is 10-3 with a 2.69 ERA and a WHIP of only 0.98. The Phillies are also 6-0 in his last 6 starts following a team loss and 7-0 in his last 7 starts in Game 3 of a series.
TODAY’S PICK: PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES

The Tampa Bay Rays will go for their eighth straight win when they play the middle game of their 3-game set with the Athletics tonight in Sac. Tampa took Game 1, cruising to a 10-6 victory. The Rays are in the top spot in the AL East, at 72-46, and own the best record in the American League. The Athletics reside in the fourth spot in the AL West, at 47-72, and do not play well at Sutter Health Park. The A’s are 21-37 overall at their temporary home where they have also lost 6 straight. Tonight’s expected starters are Nick Martinez for Tampa and Mason Barnett for the Athletics. Martinez has been dealing. He is 11-3 with an ERA of just 2.65 and a 1.10 WHIP. Barnett has been just the opposite. He is 1-2 with an elevated ERA of 5.56 and a 1.35 WHIP. The Rays have the edge in runs scored, hits, batting average, and are hot so ride them ’til they are not.
TONIGHT’S PICK: TAMPA BAY RAYS

The Baltimore Orioles will go for a sweep of the Los Angeles Angels in a matinée today at the Yard and they should do it. Brandon Young is on the hill for the Orioles. He is 8-2 with 3.31 ERA and a 1.29 WHIP. The Angels are expected to counter with Ryan Johnson and the O’s should light this guy up. Johnson is 2-6 with a bloated ERA of 7.63 and a 1.59 WHIP.
TODAY’S PICK: BALTIMORE ORIOLES

Sonny Gray will be on the hill for the Boston Red Sox tonight when they host the Chicago White Sox at Fenway Park. Sonny has been delivering.
TONIGHT’S PICK: BOSTON RED SOX